Joffrey Baratheon
Joffrey Baratheon is a major character in the first and second seasons. He is played by starring cast member Jack Gleeson and debuts in the series premiere. Joffrey Baratheon is the King on the Iron Throne. His mother Cersei Lannister will act as Queen Regent until he comes into his majority. He is betrothed to Sansa Stark. He is widely believed to be the son of Cersei and the late Robert Baratheon but was actually fathered by Jaime Lannister. He has Eddard Stark executed for challenging his legitimacy. He is a cruel and sadistic ruler. Biography Background Joffrey is presented as the oldest son and heir of King Robert Baratheon and Queen Cersei Lannister. In reality, his father is Jaime Lannister, the queen's brother. He has a younger sister, Myrcella, and a younger brother, Tommen - both also the children of Jaime and Cersei. Cersei and Robert made a political marriage alliance after Robert took the throne by force from the Mad King Aerys II Targaryen.HBO viewer's guide, season 2 guide to houses, House Baratheon of King's Landing entry Joffrey takes after his mother in terms of looks and personality. King Robert largely ignores Joffrey. Joffrey is usually accompanied by his bodyguard and retainer, the formidable Sandor Clegane, who is better known as the Hound. Joffrey is spoiled, arrogant, cowardly and sadistic.HBO viewer's guide, season 2 guide to houses, House Baratheon of King's Landing - Joffrey Baratheon entry Season 1 Prince Joffrey accompanies his parents to Winterfell and is betrothed to marry Sansa Stark as part of King Robert's plan to more closely ally House Baratheon to House Stark. Both seem happy with the prospect, and Joffrey is charming and polite towards Sansa."Winter is Coming" However, he shows no sympathy when Bran falls from a tower and is severely injured, and has to be physically chastised by his uncle Tyrion before he will pay his respects to Bran's parents."The Kingsroad" Whilst on the Kingsroad to King's Landing, Joffrey and Sansa chance upon her sister Arya practicing sword play with a commoner, Mycah. Joffrey sees a chance to have some fun with Mycah and cuts him with his sword, but Arya and her direwolf Nymeria overpower Joffrey, injuring him and throwing his sword in the river. Joffrey begs for his life. Later, he lies about the incident and says he was attacked in an unprovoked manner. King Robert agrees to forget about the incident in return for the death of Nymeria. When she cannot be found, Sansa's direwolf Lady is executed instead."The Kingsroad" In King's Landing, Joffrey tells his mother about how he would handle the people of the North as she treats his injury. He suggests capturing Winterfell, taxing the people hard and forcing their warriors to join a 'royal army'. Cersei elucidates the flaws in his plan and warns Joffrey that a king needs to be more careful in choosing his battles. Cersei tells her son that, "Anyone who isn't us is an enemy". She also urges Joffrey to do something nice for Sansa to win back her goodwill."Lord Snow" Eddard Stark discovers that Joffrey isn't King Robert's son and rightful heir, by examining the family history and realizing that black hair is a dominant trait in the Baratheon line. Joffrey's true parentage can be attributed to the incestuous relationship between his mother and his "uncle" Jaime Lannister. Joffrey wins back Sansa's affection by giving her a pendant."A Golden Crown" When King Robert Baratheon dies of a grievous hunting injury, Joffrey ascends the Iron Throne. He orders that preperations be made to crown him within the fortnight. Eddard refuses to recognise Joffrey's claim to the Iron Throne. He present a proclamation from Robert making him Protector of the Realm to enforce his authority, but Cersei destroys the document. Eddard expects Lord Petyr Baelish and Commander Janos Slynt of the City Watch to take Cersei and Joffrey prisoner, but is betrayed. Eddard is taken into custody and his remaining guards and household are murdered"You Win or You Die". Joffrey dismisses Ser Barristan Selmy from the Kingsguard and names Jaime as the new Lord Commander. Joffrey listens to Sansa's plea for mercy for her father. He agrees to spare Eddard if he recants his claim that Joffrey has no right to the throne. Sansa is sure that he will."The Pointy End" Joffrey is present at Eddard's public confession of treason where he acknowledges Joffrey as the true king. Joffrey, playing to the crowd, reveals that his mother and his betrothed have both urged him to spare Eddard and exile him to the Wall. Joffrey says that they have the weak hearts and constitutions of women, whilst he has no mercy for traitors. He orders Ser Ilyn Payne to bring him Eddard's head. Payne carries out the order, whilst Sansa faints from shock and Cersei - aware this will fuel the war with the Starks - angrily tries and fails to overrule her son.Baelor". Days later, Joffrey holds court. Marillion sings a song he wrote about King Robert and Queen Cersei; Joffrey is displeased by the song and its insults against his parents. He forces the minstrel to choose between having his fingers or tongue removed. Joffrey takes Sansa to the wall where there are several heads on long spikes - one is revealed to be Ned's, and another her Septa's. Joffrey forces her to look at the severed heads, and then presses the point that she will still marry him; he says that he will give her Robb's head on a spike, too, and she retorts, "Or maybe he'll give me yours." Joffrey has Ser Meryn Trant slap Sansa as he claims, "My mother tells me a king should never strike his lady.""Fire and Blood" Season 2 The Hound defeats an unnamed opponent atop the walls of the Red Keep during a tourney to celebrate King Joffrey's name day, making him fall to a courtyard below. Joffrey rushes forward from his pavilion to look down on the fallen man. He shouts congratulations to the Hound and then asks Sansa Stark if she enjoyed the duel. Sansa, Joffrey's captive, is deferent and subdued. Princess Myrcella and Prince Tommen are also present."The North Remembers" After the loser is dragged away, Joffrey asks who will fight next and his announcer responds by calling Lothor Brune, a freerider in the service of Lord Petyr Baelish, and Ser Dontos the Red, of House Hollard. After a second call, Hollard emerges from the wrong side of the pavilion. He is ill equipped and drops his helmet. He apologises and Joffrey accuses him of drunkenness. Dontos denies the accusation but admits to drinking two cups of wine. Joffrey offers Dontos as much wine as he likes and Dontos accepts. Joffrey orders Ser Meryn Trant of the Kingsguard to ensure that Dontos drinks his fill. Ser Meryn and two of his sworn brothers hold Dontos down and pour wine into his mouth through a funnel. Sansa cries out “You can't.” Joffrey is incensed, but she claims that she meant it would be bad luck for Joffrey to kill someone on his name day. Joffrey is dismissive of this superstition until the Hound backs Sansa. Joffrey reluctantly orders Dontos to be imprisoned until the following day, planning to execute him then and calling him a fool. In an effort to spare Dontos from execution, Sansa says that Joffrey was clever to notice Dontos' foolishness and entreats him to prolong his suffering by making him the court fool. Tyrion Lannister arrives at the Tourney, accompanied by Bronn, Lannister men-at-arms and warriors of the hill tribes. Tyrion mockingly notes Joffrey’s absence from the battlefield and Joffrey indignantly responds that he has been in King's Landing ruling the kingdoms. Tyrion jokingly says that Joffrey is doing a fine job before warmly greeting his niece and nephew. Joffrey says they had heard rumours that Tyrion was dead and Myrcella interjects that she is glad they were false. Tyrion offers his condolences to Sansa on the death of her father, to which Joffrey takes offence, asserting that Stark was a confessed traitor. Tyrion counters that he was still her father and reminds Joffrey of the recent death of his father Robert Baratheon, so he should sympathise. Joffrey leans back to stare at Sansa. She names her father, mother and brother as traitors and claims loyalty to Joffrey. Tyrion smiles and accepts her lie before saying that he has work to do and walks past Joffrey, ignoring the King's questions about his purpose. Joffrey begins to redecorate the throne room, removing the flowers and paintings, commenting that the old Targaryen kings got it right with their displays of dragon skulls: he feels that a king should make brutal displays of naked power. Cersei tells him that they need to find Arya in order to exchange both girls for Jaime. Joffrey says that he believes the Starks are weak enough to trade Jaime for Sansa and claims that they overvalue their women; he is also dismissive of Arya, hoping that she is dead. Cersei suggests they set their armies to search for Arya and ask Tywin for aid. Joffrey says that a king does not ask but commands his subjects. He blames Tywin for their losses and the capture of Jaime. Cersei says that Jaime’s life is in danger and Joffrey counters that while they are at war all of their lives are in danger. He brings up the rumours about Cersei’s incestuous relationship with Jaime, incensed by a letter spread by Stannis Baratheon all over the Seven Kingdoms. Taken aback, she responds that their enemies will say anything to weaken his claim. He is annoyed at her calling it a "claim," saying that the throne is his. She agrees with him and tells him that no-one believes the gossip. He says that someone believes it and questions her about Robert’s other children. She wonders why he is asking about Robert’s bastards. He coarsely restates his question and Cersei slaps him. He warns her that her action is punishable by death and tells her never to strike him again. Later, several of King Robert's bastards, including infants, are brutally murdered by the City Watch. After Tyrion has the commander of the City Watch, Lord Janos Slynt, exiled to the Wall for his part in the massacre and installs Bronn as Slynt's replacement, Cersei lets Tyrion believe that Joffrey ordered the massacre."The Night Lands" Joffrey aims an ornate crossbow at Sansa in the Iron Throne room. He says that she is there to answer for Robb’s treasons. She denies having any involvement in Robb’s actions, calling Robb a traitor. Joffrey instructs Ser Lancel Lannister to tell her of Robb’s latest outrage. Lancel claims that Robb used sorcery and an army of wolves to kill thousands of men under the command of Stafford. He adds that the Northmen feasted on the flesh of the slain after the slaughter drawing cries of outrage and horror from the courtiers. Joffrey suggests that killing Sansa would send Robb a message, but lowers his bow citing his mothers insistence that Sansa be kept alive. He orders her to stand and says they will send Robb a message in a different way. He orders Ser Meryn Trant of the Kingsguard to beat Sansa but spare her face. Meryn punches Sansa and then knocks her over using the flat of his sword. Joffrey orders Sansa stripped and Meryn tears her dress from her shoulders."Garden of Bones" Tyrion Lannister enters with Bronn and demands an explanation. He asks Meryn what kind of knight beats a helpless girl and Meryn says the kind that follows their king. Bronn sarcastically warns Meryn to be careful of getting blood on his white cloak. Tyrion orders Sansa covered and reminds Joffrey that he is engaged to marry her. Sandor Clegane tears off his white cloak and gives it to Sansa. Joffrey says that he was punishing her. Tyrion wonders what crimes she committed and elucidates that she did not fight in Robb’s battle, calling Joffrey a half wit. Joffrey asserts that he can do as he likes as king. Tyrion reminds Joffrey of the fate of the Mad King, who ruled without regard for the consequences of his actions until he was killed by Jaime. Meryn warns Tyrion not to threaten Joffrey and Tyrion counters that he is educating his nephew. He orders Bronn to kill Meryn if he speaks again and tells Meryn that he has now made a threat. Tyrion helps Sansa up and walks her out of the throne room. Sandor stands guard outside Joffrey’s chamber. The king arrives and asks why Sandor is there. Sandor says that Tyrion has left a name day present and asked him to ensure that Joffrey received it. Joffrey wonders what it is and Sandor says only that it is inside. Joffrey is met by the prostitutes Ros and Daisy. Ros wishes him a happy name day and then reaches for his crotch. He flinches and then instructs Ros to touch Daisy. He asks if Ros can hit Daisy and she spanks her gently. Joffrey asks if Tyrion sent them and Ros says that Tyrion chose them himself. Joffrey takes off his belt and gives it to Ros to use. He forces Ros to hit Daisy hard enough to make her scream. He hands Ros a stag’s head sceptre and she protests that too much pain will spoil the pleasure. He loads his crossbow as Ros warns him that his uncle might find out. He tells Ros that he wants Tyrion to find out and orders her to take Daisy to Tyrion’s chambers to show him what has happened or she will also be beaten. He aims the crossbow at Ros and orders her to begin. Appearances Image Gallery Joffrey_Baratheon_2.jpg|Joffrey at Winterfell. Joffrey Baratheon.jpg|Joffrey on the Kingsroad. Joffrey-coward.png|Joffrey cowers as Arya holds his sword in "The Kingsroad". Cersei-joffrey.png|Joffrey gets advice from his mother in "Lord Snow". Joffreythrone.jpg|Joffrey takes the Iron Throne in "You Win or You Die". Ned's execution.jpg|Cersei, Joffrey and Sansa watch as Eddard is executed in "Baelor". Joffrey.png|Joffrey torments Sansa on the traitors walk in "Fire and Blood". Joffrey Cross Boy.jpg|Joffrey wielding his crossbow in "Garden of Bones". Family tree Quotes In the books In the Song of Ice and Fire novels, Joffrey is twelve years old when the story begins. He is described as a handsome young man, but not especially skilled at arms. His uncle Tyrion occasionally tries to teach him something of politics and learning, but he is uninterested in such matters. He and Robert have a distant relationship, but his mother dotes upon him. Throughout the books, Cersei is willfully blind to Joffrey's insane and homicidal behavior, no matter how ridiculous. Rather than recognize the monster that she has unleashed on the Seven Kingdoms by putting Joffrey on the throne, Cersei embraces the fantasy that he is a great king, or at worst "willful", and chides her younger son Tommen that he should try to be more like Joffrey. Later books also retroactively reveal that Joffrey's siblings Prince Tommen and Princess Myrcella have lived in terror of Joffrey their entire lives. See also * Joffrey Baratheon at A Wiki of Ice and Fire (MAJOR spoilers from the books). References de:Joffrey Baratheon es:Joffrey Baratheon Category:Characters Category:Major Characters Category:Season 1 Characters Category:Season 2 Characters Category:Status: Alive Category:House Baratheon Category:House Lannister Category:Kings